tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jan 14 00:34:09 1997

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Re: chay'



In a message dated 97-01-13 18:58:31 EST, Sustel writes:

<< Here's another problem for you: although I don't think this is correct
either, 
 I see it more likely to be {'ar beQ ghew} than {chay' beQ ghew} for "How
flat 
 is the bug?"  At least {'ar} is asking for a degree of something ("how
much")? 
  In Klingon, {chay' beQ ghew} is a perfectly grammatical question, whose 
 answer might be {vIgho'}.
  >>

SuStel, Please refer to TKD pp 69-70 Section 6.4.  You obviously need to read
very carefully how {'ar} asks the measure of Nouns.  {chay'}, {qatlh}, and
{ghorgh} ask something about the action, i.e., the Verb.  {nuq} and {'Iv} fit
into Object or Subject slots as Nouns.  {nuqDaq} fits into the Adverb slot.

I agree that Klingon is not a reconstruction of any Earth language, although
it comes pertty close to a conglomeration of Navajo, Mayan, and Quechua.
 OTOH, patterns of language-thought indicate there are relative similarities
in various languages.  We have seen some evident patterns even in Klingon,
possibly because it really is a language devised on Earth, binding us to
inherent patterns in our brains.  A prevalent pattern in Earth languages,
from the several I have delved into, nowhere near all that exist, is that the
word  for "how" does a verb's action occur also asks "how" a stative verbs
degree is measured.

Finally, I resent your having been the first to reply.  BG does not equate to
authority, particularly in the case of a post not containing KLBC and
requesting discussion from the listserv members at large. jIHvaD bIjangqa'pa'
maja'chuq ghomvam jIH je 'e' vIchup

peHruS


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